Dead of Winter premiere: On the red carpet with Emma Thompson and Gaia Wise

Written by Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb, Dead of Winter is a bold new action-thriller directed by Brian Kirk, which stars Emma Thompson (Babs) as a lone traveller seeking the final resting place for her recently deceased husband’s ashes through the snow-filled landscape of Minnesota.

Flashbacks of her younger self (Gaia Wise) provide the backstory to the life she spent with her partner; the lucrative fishing supplies store she ran with him, and the memories of their time spent in nature on numerous romantic fishing trips. Fast forward to the present day, whilst she’s looking for a lake to scatter his ashes, she stumbles upon a couple who’ve kidnapped a girl (Laurel Marsden) and soon finds her life on the line as she uses all her skills to help release the captured teen.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of attending the Gala Screening in London, where we spoke to Thompson about what struck her about the script, working together with her daughter Wise on this project and the unique appeal of the unlikely action-hero.

Wise spoke to us about sharing the role of Babs with her mother, the challenges of filming in such harsh weather conditions and the brilliant story that she hopes viewers will enjoy.

Ezelle Alblas

Dead of Winter is released nationwide on 26^th September 2025.

Watch the trailer for Dead of Winter here: